#echinodaemon

Image © Wizards of the Coast, by Fred Hooper. Accessed at the Stormwrack Art Gallery here

[I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. 3rd Edition D&D did yugoloths/daemons dirty. Maybe it was a reaction to their role in Planescape, where they were the masterminds of pretty much everything. But 3e’s yugoloths got seriously depowered, and most of the new species introduced were varieties of stupid goon-monsters instead of having the depth or flair of demons or devils. The echinoloth is a case in point. The original has mental statistics of Int 6, Wis 8, Cha 11, no spell-like abilities, and barely any personality to speak of.

This is one of those monsters that already has a good conversion on tumblr, with @thecreaturechronicle​‘s version. That version hews more mechanically close to the text, and makes it the patron of death by pressure. That’s a reasonable choice for a deep-sea daemon, but the echinoloth doesn’t have any pressure related abilities other than “can survive it”. I went a different direction for my version, inspired by the flavor text of them roving the deep sea and the role that real echinoderms play as important scavengers.]

Daemon, Echinodaemon CR 8 NE Outsider (extraplanar) This creature is bipedal, but rather than having a humanoid torso is roughly spherical and is dominated by a shark-toothed maw. A squirming knot of barbed tentacles grow from its upper side. It has no eyes, but moves with malign purpose.

An echinodaemon is the representation of death both of and by scavengers. They preside over the looters of battlefields and beasts squabbling over a carcass. They sometimes form from the souls of evil scavengers (otyughs are not uncommon as sources for echinodaemons), but also arise when a cacodaemon gluts itself on enough souls in a short amount of time. They are bestial and not terribly intelligent, but cunning nonetheless.

Echinodaemons are often, but not always, found in the lightless depths, wandering the deep plains of oceans both extraplanar and of the Material Plane. They also follow behind battles or preside over tar pits and sinkholes to hasten the death of the injured and trapped. The barbed tentacles of an echinodaemon inflict suppurating wounds, and they radiate an aura of nausea. A creature that dies near an echinodaemon invigorates and heals it, making them difficult enemies to fight in environments rich with the dead and dying.

Echinodaemons are not popular among other daemon types, as they will not hesitate to kill a badly wounded daemon and return it to quintessence. They do congregate in massive tangles, especially in the wake of great conflicts. Although as an outsider they do not truly require food, they are compelled to eat the fallen, regardless of whether they were living, undead or constructs. Bits of treasure can be found in an echinodaemon’s gullet, but they do not intentionally collect valuables.